Worcester woman returning home after kidnapping ordeal in Liberia

A Worcester woman who was kidnapped in Liberia and then prevented by the government from leaving for two weeks is on her way home, her boyfriend said yesterday.

The plane carrying Christina Andrianopoulos, 58, left the West African country at 8:45 or 9 p.m. (4:45 to 5 p.m. Eastern time), said George Cancelmo, her boyfriend. The craft will land in Germany and Ms. Andrianopoulos is expected to land in Boston today, he said.

The host of Cable Channel 3's City Vibes Metro show testified yesterday in a courtroom in Monrovia, satisfying a court order to get her passport returned to her. She said she was kidnapped upon arrival in Monrovia Sept. 23 by a man who said he was a driver for the businessman she had arranged to meet with.

Ms. Andrianopoulos said the Liberian National Police said that Brice Techo, the man she was to meet, is a phantom who never existed. She said that she had been in talks with him by telephone over a six-month period, although she said that she never met the man, who she said was a business partner of Mr. Cancelmo.

Ms. Andrianopoulos, who is president of Omega Marketing Group, said she was beaten and threatened with torture during the nearly three days she was held captive until she escaped.

She said the ransom her captors demanded, which dwindled from $5 million to $180,000, was never paid, and the fear and frustration of her kidnappers increased until basically she was let go. She attributes her freedom to her prayers to be released from the “devil” who led the group of three who held her.

The American embassy in Liberia and the FBI got involved in the case, and police said a Nigerian has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and assaulting Ms. Andrianopoulos.